Improvement in potato-diggers



UNITED STATES HENRY J. MOORE, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

Specification brming part of Letters Patent No. 117,913, dated August 8, 1871.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. MOORE, of Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and in the State oi' Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specication.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a potato-digger, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to Which'my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of my machine.

A A represent two parallel beams, through which passes an axle having a wheel, B, at each end, and said beams support the drivers seat C. At the front ends the beams A A are connected by a rod or other suitable means, and a tongue is to be attached to them in any convenient manner. Immediately in front ot' the axle, on the inner side of each of the beams A, is attached a plate, a, which extends downward a suitable distance, and has a beam, D, pivoted to it. Said beams, being connected at or near their front ends, form a swinging frame, to which the scoop, screen, and elevator are attached. The scoop E is placed under the front end of the swinging frame and suitably connected to the same. Above the scoop, in adjustable bearings, is placed a shaft, b, having at each end a wheel, G, which regulates the depth at which the scoop E is to work. From the rear end ofthe scoop E extends a screen, II, composed of wire rods suitably connected with each other, and also connected with and supended from the swinging frame D. The screen H is inclined upward toward the rear, and attached at its rear end to a receiving-box connected in any suitable manner with the main frame of the machine. As this receiving-box may be constructed and attached in any desired manner, I have not deemed it necessary to represent the same in the drawing. At the rear end of the swingingframe D, in suitable bearings, is

placed a cross-shaft, having at each end, within the frame, a pulley, d, grooved around its periphery, and nea-r the front end of the fra-ine is another cross-shaft with similar grooved pulleys or wheels e e. The wheels c c, 0r rather the diameter of said wheels is so much larger than that ofthe wheels d d that endless chains ff, placed around and connecting said pulleys, will be in an inclined position on the-under side, so a-s to correspond with and follow close to the inclined screen H. The two endless chains j' j' are connected by rods L k, placed at suitable and equal distances apart, and on each rod is hinged a bucket, I. Each bucket I is in the center, on its outer side, provided with two curved pins or hooks, c' i, one above and the other below the rod k of the next bucket, allowing the bucket to vibrate up and down only for a certain distance. On the inner side of one of the wheels B is attached a cog-wheel, J, which gears with a pinion, K, on the side of the swinging frame D, and this pinion gears with another cog-wheel or pinion, L, upon the end of the shaft which carries the two pulleys l d. By this means motion is communicated to the endless chains and buckets. A lever, M, pivoted to the inner side of the main frame, is, by a rod or chain, connected with the front end of the swinging frame D, as shown in Fig. 1.

My machine, it will be seen, is only twowheeled, which is a great advantage over any three or four-wheeled machines for convenience in turning and moving about.

The scoop, screen, and elevator with forward wheels, being` secured in the frame D, which swings on pivots, are elevated by the lever M so as to clear the ground from eight inches to one foot, said operation at the same time disconnecting the cog-gearing. The inclination of the scoop E is so slight that free and easy entrance in any kind of soil is insured. The bucket-elevator, carrying the potatoes along the screen to the boX at the rear, constantly clears the scoop and prevents choking. The point of the scoop, being situated under the axle oi' and supported by the Wheels G G, will take a -regular depth when working' in uneven ground. The necessary depth is also gauged by the adjustability of the wheels. The elevating-buckets I I are so constructed and attached that, when in contact with curved rods or hooks ji i, the rods k k und endless ehuins ffpassing around the grooved Wheels or pulleys d e of unequal diameter-,al1 substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. rlhe arrangement of the mein frame A supported upon the two Wheels B B, the swinging frame D, scoop E, screen H, elevzrtorfI, and :idjustaible Wheels G G, all constructed substantially es and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hund this 8th day. of March, 1869.

HENRY J. MOORE.

Witnesses ORRIN T. WELCH, D. T.' NICHOLS. 

